Biafra: Court sets date for decision on Nnamdi Kanu’s bail

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A Federal High Court in Abuja will on Thursday rule on a bail application for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since October.

Mr. Kanu, the director of the underground Radio Biafra, was arrested by the State Security Service.

Calls for his release led to demonstrations in several south east states.

On Monday, the counsel to the SSS, Moses Idakwo, asked that the court to disregard the bail application by Mr. Kanu’s counsel, Vincent Obeta.

Mr. Idakwo argued that Mr. Kanu should not be granted bail as the charge against him was terrorism-related.

He said the SSS had evidence of bank accounts owned by Mr. Kanu, where monies (in dollars and pound sterling) were used for financing terrorism against Nigeria.

Mr. Idakwo told the court that Mr. Kanu had dual citizenship of Britain and Nigeria and therefore could flee justice, if granted bail.

He also said the bail conditions issued by a magistrate court were still yet to be perfected by Mr. Kanu.

But Mr. Kanu’s counsel, Mr. Obeta, dismissed the arguments of the SSS as being speculative.

He told the court that his client had long offered to meet the financial requirement by the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) for ascertaining the authenticity of the properties belonging to the surety, but that his offer was rejected by the SSS.

Mr. Obeta told the court that the SSS had on four occasions flouted the order of the magistrate court, adding that an order had since been given for his client’s release, on bail.

He said the request by the SSS to further detain Mr. Kanu for another 90 days, according to section 27 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, was a negation of his client’s right.

Mr. Obeta also said his client had been in detention for 90 days, as at Monday.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who seemed quite unfamiliar with the case, said he would look into the matter and would issue a ruling Thursday.

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